The present invention relates to printed circuit board assemblies for mounting in a rack enclosure.
Complex electrical apparatus often consists of a plurality of printed circuits boards which must be electrically interconnected and mechanically supported. One such technique for accomplishing this is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,302,820 issued to Odo J. Struger, et al. In the first figure of that patent, a rack enclosure is shown into which plug a number of printed circuit board assemblies designated 15-18. Typically, the rack enclosure has a backplane printed circuit board having a series of connectors which mate with connectors on each of the printed circuit boards. The front edge of the printed circuit boards may also contain indicator lights, additional electrical connectors for external devices, and switches.
In a variation of this basic enclosure structure is shown in my copending U.S. patent application, Ser. No. 909,710 filed on an even date herewith and entitled, "Printed Circuit Board Chassis with Electrical Interlock." In that structure, the enclosure includes upper and lower guide tracks for guiding each printed circuit board into the backplane connectors and upper and lower gounding bars into which a front panel of the printed circuit board module may be attached by bolts.
Typically, each printed circuit board assembly consists of only a single printed circuit board which had to be spaced some distance away from the adjacent printed circuit boards in order to provide electrical isolation of the various components and conductive paths on the printed circuit board so that the vibration of the enclosure would not cause two adjacent printed circuit boards or their components to come into contact with one another.